Mike Cattermole's column on Tom George and more

TOM GEORGE NOT TO BE UNDERESTIMATED NEXT WEEK

I spent a most interesting – and very wet! - morning at Tom George’s base in the Slad Valley last week and found the ever-friendly trainer and his team, both human and equine, in great form.

Down Farm is an extraordinary place, perched on the side of a valley, deep in Laurie Lee cider country in the more rugged area of the Cotswolds. It would not be an obvious place to sculpt out a racing yard but that’s what George has done since starting in the mid 1990s, building boxes in the most unlikeliest of places alongside some pretty steep gallops.

There were just five horseboxes when he started but there is room for 73 now. The yard has a charisma all its own.

George is one of those trainers who, season after season, ticks away very efficiently indeed, thank you, while notching up the odd Grade One or Grade Two here and there. 

However, he seems to have cranked things up to another level this season and Overawed’s (rather fortunate) success at Southwell on Monday was his 58th of the campaign - that’s already eight clear of his previous best total. 

The addition of an experienced hand in John Cullinan, the former trainer, as his assistant, and the appointment of a full-time stable jockey in Adrian Heskin may have made the difference.

Cullinan, best known perhaps for the exploits of smart sprinter Smokin’ Beau, explained: "Tom can now get on with the training and I can look after all matters around the yard. 

"We go back years to when we were young men at Arthur Moore’s. We have always got on well and when I was offered the chance to come here, I didn’t hesitate for a moment."

Both George and Cullinan are highly impressed by the their young stable jockey who has formed an instantly successful partnership with the trainer. They agreed that Heskin is mustard on the schooling grounds, too.

Gods Own, the stable’s star, looked in great condition as George muses going for another Betway Champion Chase (fourth last year) or trying the Ryanair. But I got the impression that this bull of a chaser ("They always say he looks fat") would be primed for another go at Punchestown where has won two Grade Ones already and of course claimed the scalp of the mighty Vautour last year.

Sir Valentino, who has made huge improvement this season, definitely heads for the Champion Chase, however.

The Worlds End, so impressive when giving weight and a beating to No Hassle Hoff at Haydock, must be on the shortlist of those fancied to give Death Duty something to think about in the Albert Bartlett Hurdle. George said: "He doesn’t do much at home but on what he has done on the track, he certainly deserves his place in the field."

George has a sprinkling of good prospects in the handicaps, too, led on Tuesday by Singlefarmpayment in the Ultima Chase and Bun Doran (I got the impression he is quite keen on this one) in the Close Brothers Novices’ and then Rocklander in Thursday’s Pertemps Final.

George sent out Galileo – that’s the other, Polish-bred Galileo – to win the 2002 Sun Alliance Novices’ Hurdle and that has been his only Festival winner to date. That might well have changed by the end of next week.

Meanwhile, both the stable’s Randox Health Grand National hopes, the veteran former runner-up Saint Are and rising star Double Shuffle, are hitting form at just the right time. 

Indeed, it could be a very good spring, by George!

BIG WEEK FOR YOUNG IRISH JOCKEYS

Let’s face it, next week is just a big week for jockeys, full stop. 

As hinted above, Adrian Heskin, now the only "AP" in the weighing room, will come to the Festival with confidence brimming as he bids to add to his two wins so far (A New Story in the 2010 Cross Country and Martello Tower in the 2015 Albert Bartlett).

And there are plenty of other other young Irish bucks who could be stealing some of the headlines next week. With no Barry Geraghty around, Mark Walsh, as the JP McManus supersub, has a huge opportunity to impress Festival racegoers, just as he has done in his native land over the past two or three seasons in particular.

Walsh has been an infrequent visitor to these shores with just three winners from 44 rides to date. But you suspect that this is going to change in the future.

Indeed, Walsh will be immediately thrust into the spotlight with Yanworth on Tuesday. Could he or Noel Fehily on Buveur D’Air make history and give JP a famous 50th Festival win?

At least both men have been spared the stress of choosing between mounts with the green and gold hoops also being worn throughout the week by Aidan Coleman and one or two others.

That burden has not been taken from Bryan Cooper whose rides he will himself have to hand pick from the mere 122 Gigginstown entries that he is qualified to sit on!

Cooper, who has been so unluckily derailed by a succession of injuries towards the end of last year (broken arm, lacerated liver, fractured pelvis), is well aware that what he discards will be snapped up by the 17-year-old "wonderkid", Jack Kennedy. 

So, prominent showings from both Petit Mouchoir and Apple’s Jade on the opening day will help shape Cooper’s week.

ATZENI CRITICISM WIDE OF THE MARK

Andrea Atzeni came in for a bit of stick for his ride on Postponed at Meydan last Saturday, including from two of my colleagues on At The Races who were most unimpressed.

However, I wasn’t sure that Atzeni had done much wrong. As the field turned into the straight, Postponed was on the inside of the eventual winner Prize Money and didn’t have the instant change of pace to get out of trouble. That wasn’t Atzeni’s fault.

Full marks, however to Dutchman Adrie De Vries who rode a superb tactical race on Prize Money. He rode to keep Postponed in but, crucially, had the horse under him who was able to quicken on request. Postponed took an age to find his stride and, when he did, De Vries had already flown.

Atzeni was outridden, yes, but I don’t believe he was guilty of a bad ride. 

Postponed was not good enough on the day and it remains to be seen whether his best days are behind him. I am surprised that he wasn’t retired after his lacklustre run in the Arc.

He is a wonderful-looking racehorse with an excellent race record over four seasons, which has yielded four Group Ones and three Group Twos. However, how many horses can do it at the top level for a fifth season on the track? Not many are asked, that’s for sure.

GEORGE BAKER, GET WELL SOON

When the PJA announced this week that scans had shown that George Baker had suffered a bleed on the brain in that horrific fall on the frozen lake at St Moritz, my heart sank.

George, around 6ft tall, is so universally admired in the business for the way he conducts himself both in and out of the saddle, that it was hard news to accept. He had enjoyed a memorable few months, winning the St Leger on Harbour Law and, far more importantly, becoming a father for the first time.

Hopefully, news of Baker's return to England signals the start of his return to full health. Certainly, our thoughts are with him, as well as with his family and friends.

TOUGH NIGHT AT THE EMIRATES

Sure, Arsenal were humiliated by Bayern Munich on Tuesday night. The aggregate score of 10-2 was indeed an embarrassment. But their performance on the night was not that bad.

Some claim that Arsene Wenger has lost the dressing room but, up until the sending off of Laurent Koscielny in the 54th minute, which ended the tie as a contest, they never stopped running and trying. Down to ten men and now 6-2 behind, their position was hopeless and Bayern were ruthless. But the way they capitulated – again - was inexcusable.

I felt more than a degree of sympathy for most of the Arsenal players, especially Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Theo Walcott, who were both outstanding.  The team didn’t get the rub of the green with some of the refereeing decisions, especially not being given a penalty when Xabi Alonso shoved Walcott over. That was a game-changer – they might deservedly have gone in at half time 2-0 up.

That all said, there is clearly now a huge need for something new at Arsenal – some new and better players and a new manager! Those thoughts were swirling around as I left The Emirates.

Ah well, let’s check the phone and see how Derby are doing. They were 1-0 up against Preston the last time I looked with a minute to go! What’s that? 1-1? Preston scored in the fifth minute of stoppage time? 

Oh great.

Mike Cattermole is on Twitter @catters61